Publication: Integrating Early Childhood Care and Education in Sri Lanka: From Global Evidence to National Action
Loading...
Files in English
6,194 downloads
Published
2020-10-22
ISSN
Date
2020-10-22
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Changes in social and family structures, gender roles, and working environments have led some countries to introduce integrated centers for early childhood care and education (ECCE) for children ages zero to five years, combining the advantages of preschools and childcare centers. ECCE services are becoming increasingly important for countries as a support system for working parents. In countries such as Sri Lanka, where female participation in the labor force is low in comparison with international standards, providing affordable childcare services could also help more mothers to enter the labor market. Responding to the needs of employees, child development centers in the plantation areas in Sri Lanka are already providing integrated childcare services for children in this age group. The increasing demand for affordable childcare services and the growing recognition of the benefits of holistic early childhood development have brought ECCE to the forefront of Sri Lanka’s development agenda. Well-designed ECCE systems can improve the lives of children and families and provide significant advantages to national economies. Access to effective ECCE can equalize learning opportunities by improving school readiness and by putting children on a more equal footing at the primary school level. These early advantages have proved to have a lasting impact, affecting both educational and earning potential in the adult years. The significant income inequalities in countries such as Sri Lanka could be addressed through investment in effective ECCE programs, and enhanced understanding of the benefits and potential long-term impacts of ECCE could help governments tailor programs to ensure maximum return on investment. This study seeks to answer the following questions: Is it more effective to provide early childcare and education services separately or in an integrated manner? Under what conditions would the provision of separate care and education services be more effective? The study provides an analysis of the ECCE environment in Sri Lanka, with recommendations for improvement within the current context. The information presented in the study is a starting point to foster the improved understanding of a complex subject area involving multiple stakeholders.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Warnasuriya, Renu; Sosale, Shobhana; Dey, Sangeeta. 2020. Integrating Early Childhood Care and Education in Sri Lanka: From Global Evidence to National Action. International Development in Focus. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34646 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Early Childhood Care and Development Project : Implementation Completion Memorandum(Washington, DC, 2008-04)The objective of the Project is to assist the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, through Save the Children UK on behalf of International Save the Children Alliance acting under the coordination of the Early Childhood Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) in establishing an enabling environment in the poorest and most vulnerable communities, and providing young children the opportunities to develop to their full potential. All communes in three selected provinces of project locations (Quang Tri, Yen Bai and Dien Bien) face food insecurity, limited access to markets, limited provision of basic infrastructures, poor health, inadequate education, high illiteracy, and environmental degradation. Despite the challenging contextual environment in which this grant has taken place, the grant objectives were largely highly satisfactorily met and fulfilled though four key intermediate project results: increased access and availability of early childhood care and development services and supplies; increased quality of early childhood care and development services (Health and Education); increased family and community awareness and capacity to promote utilization of early childhood care and development services; and improved implementation of policies in support of ethnic minority children.Publication Arab Republic of Egypt : Strategic Options for Early Childhood Education(Washington, DC, 2002-09)In 2001,the Egyptian government announced its intention to build on progress toward improved child health, and education by increasing enrollment rates in kindergarten (KG) programs, and improving early childhood education. The repot examines the status of KG enrollment, stipulating fifty percent is in private schools, and, most programs in the private sector are developed, and managed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and religious schools. Notwithstanding, poor children still face many barriers to KG enrollment: there is a strong correlation between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and gross enrollment in KG in Egypt - the poorest governorates in Upper, and Lower Egypt have the lowest KG enrollment rates, and, there are disparities between KG enrollment rates for girls, and boys. Key priorities for KG expansion suggest the adoption of comprehensive approaches to pre-service, and in-service training; development of an official KG curriculum; integrated health and nutrition services to improve ability to learn; and, adoption of a participatory approach to quality improvement. Strategies to expand KG should focus on strengthening coordination, and management of early childhood education (ECE), to improve access to public KG, but most importantly, provide support for teacher training through supervision, and mentoring programs. Restrictions to private sector participation in public KG expansion should be revised within a regulatory framework, while incentives should be created for improved access to disadvantaged children.Publication Laying the Foundation for Early Childhood Education in Sri Lanka(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-06-01)The objective of this report is to analyze the state of early childhood education (ECE1) provision and the policy framework for delivering ECE in Sri Lanka, and suggest policy options for the future. The report is intended to serve several purposes. First, drawing upon the international literature in the field of early childhood development, it provides the rationale for investing in early childhood education in Sri Lanka. Second, it provides an understanding of the current policy framework and delivery system for ECE in the country. This policy analysis specifically looks at the extent to which there is an enabling environment for ECE, what provisions exist for monitoring and quality assurance, and how widely the policy is being implemented. Third, it presents a situation analysis of ECE provision in Sri Lanka, discussing the issues of access, equity, and quality in the delivery of ECE services. The discussion on equity focuses mainly on understanding disparities in access, and the analysis of quality looks at the quality of inputs, processes and outcomes, including cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes. And fourth, the report presents policy and program options based on the findings of the above analyses.Publication Sri Lanka Human Capital Development(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2021-08-13)Human capital is a central determinant of economic well-being and social advancement in the modern world economy. The concept of human capital covers the knowledge, skills, nutrition, and health that people accumulate over their lives, enabling them to realize their potential as productive members of society. Because of the vital importance of human capital for economic growth, the World Bank has launched the Human Capital Project (HCP), which includes the Human Capital Index (HCI). The objective of the HCP is to accelerate human capital development around the world. The HCI is a cross-country metric designed to measure and forecast a country’s human capital. Sri Lanka is a lower-middle-income country seeking to become an upper-middle-income country. Developing human capital to a new and higher level will be central to achieving this development goal. After the country’s 26-year secessionist conflict ended in 2009, Sri Lanka’s economy enjoyed rapid growth at an average rate of almost 6 percent between 2010 and 2017, reflecting a peace dividend and a determined policy thrust toward reconstruction and growth. However, in more recent years there have been signs of a slowdown. The economy is transitioning from a predominantly rural economy to a more urbanized one. In the context of the HCP and the HCI, Sri Lanka Human Capital Development analyzes the main achievements and challenges of human capital development in this East Asia and Pacific island country in health and nutrition—including stunting—and in education—including the challenges posed by Sri Lankans’ low participation in higher education. The report concludes with a look at the importance of building a consensus among the public and other stakeholders to launch an ambitious human capital development program in Sri Lanka.Publication Improving Early Childhood Development through Community Mobilization and Integrated Planning for Children : Results from the Evaluation of Bachpan Program, Ratlam District, Madhya Pradesh, India(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-05)This study reports the results of an impact evaluation of a pilot project implemented in 220 villages in Bajna block, Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh (MP), India. The 30-month pilot was designed to improve early childhood development outcomes through: (a) creating awareness on child development issues among households and the community; (b) strengthening linkages between different service providers; (c) intensifying the connection between the community, panchayat (local governments), and service providers; (d) facilitating the formation of Village Resource Groups (VRGs) with representatives of the community, panchayat, and service providers to ensure better convergence and coordination of service delivery; (e) developing integrated village-level action plans around the needs of the child; and (f) advocating and lobbying with local, district, and state administration for flexible allocation of resources. The evaluation assessed the impact of the project on health, education, and nutrition milestones or outcomes or outputs identified for each stage of child development. This report is structured as follows: chapter one gives background; chapter two presents evaluation of the results of the pilot project; chapter three presents progress in processes and identified outcomes or milestones; and chapter four deals with Bachpan-lessons learned.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Laying the Foundation for Early Childhood Education in Sri Lanka(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-06-01)The objective of this report is to analyze the state of early childhood education (ECE1) provision and the policy framework for delivering ECE in Sri Lanka, and suggest policy options for the future. The report is intended to serve several purposes. First, drawing upon the international literature in the field of early childhood development, it provides the rationale for investing in early childhood education in Sri Lanka. Second, it provides an understanding of the current policy framework and delivery system for ECE in the country. This policy analysis specifically looks at the extent to which there is an enabling environment for ECE, what provisions exist for monitoring and quality assurance, and how widely the policy is being implemented. Third, it presents a situation analysis of ECE provision in Sri Lanka, discussing the issues of access, equity, and quality in the delivery of ECE services. The discussion on equity focuses mainly on understanding disparities in access, and the analysis of quality looks at the quality of inputs, processes and outcomes, including cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes. And fourth, the report presents policy and program options based on the findings of the above analyses.Publication What are the Main Variables that Influence the Dynamics of Ecuador’s Sovereign Risk?(Taylor & Francis, 2023-01-16)This paper analyzes the determinants of Ecuador’s sovereign spreads as measured by the EMBI index. We use Bayesian algorithms to estimate a structural vector autoregressive model with three blocks (international, regional, and domestic). Global variables drive most of the dynamics of the Ecuadorian EMBI, also influenced by the evolution of sovereign risks in other Latin American countries like Chile and Peru. We likewise show that the increase in public debt is the primary domestic variable affecting the Ecuadorian EMBI.Publication Implementing 30x30(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-24)The publication of nearly 600,000 new species occurrence maps using Global Biodiversity Information Facility data provides an opportunity to reassess international species protection with broader representation for plants, invertebrates, and other species. This development aligns with the global 30x30 initiative, where 188 governments have committed to expanding terrestrial and marine protection to cover 30 percent of the planet by 2030. This study leverages Global Biodiversity Information Facility occurrence maps to identify new opportunities for species protection in 10 countries in Latin America (Brazil, Costa Rica, and Ecuador), Africa (Cameroon, South Africa, and Madagascar), and the Asia-Pacific region (Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, India, and China). By focusing on individual countries, the paper emphasizes the importance of local conservation stewardship. Both terrestrial and marine cases are analyzed, with particular attention to endemic species. Unlike previous efforts, this approach assigns equal weight to all vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and other species mapped in the database. A spatially efficient algorithm identifies priority localities for establishing new protected areas to safeguard unprotected species. The findings reveal that initial conditions, such as existing protection levels and the spatial clustering of unprotected species, greatly influence outcomes. Unprotected species are shown to be spatially clustered in some countries but not in others, and the representation of different taxa among unprotected species is found to vary significantly across countries. Some countries can achieve full protection within the 30 percent territorial limit, while others may need to exceed it. However, in all cases, spatial clustering enables significant protection gains through modest expansions of protected areas, demonstrating a path forward for enhancing biodiversity conservation within global commitments.Publication Empowering Migrant Women(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-11)Do undocumented forced migrants change their propensity to report or commit a crime when they are granted proper documentation, a job permit, and access to social services? This paper examines the impacts of a regularization program that granted temporary economic rights to over 281,000 undocumented Venezuelan forced migrants in Colombia. The program resulted in a general reduction in crimes committed by forced migrants, also while increasing the number of domestic abuse and sex crimes female migrants reported. These findings suggest that empowerment and greater trust in local authorities are key mechanisms driving the behavioral changes for females, while proper enforcement facilitated by adequate documentation and the positive income effects of the program reduced the general propensity for migrants to commit crimes.Publication The Exposure of Workers to Artificial Intelligence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-02-05)Research on the labor market implications of artificial intelligence has focused principally on high-income countries. This paper analyzes this issue using microdata from a large set of low- and middle-income countries, applying a measure of potential artificial intelligence occupational exposure to a harmonized set of labor force surveys for 25 countries, covering a population of 3.5 billion people. The approach advances work by using harmonized microdata at the level of individual workers, which allows for a multivariate analysis of factors associated with exposure. Additionally, unlike earlier papers, the paper uses highly detailed (4 digit) occupation codes, which provide a more reliable mapping of artificial intelligence exposure to occupation. Results within countries, show that artificial intelligence exposure is higher for women, urban workers, and those with higher education. Exposure decreases by country income level, with high exposure for just 12 percent of workers in low-income countries and 15 percent of workers in lower-middle-income countries. Furthermore, lack of access to electricity limits effective exposure in low-income countries. These results suggest that for developing countries, and in particular low-income countries, the labor market impacts of artificial intelligence will be more limited than in high-income countries. While greater exposure to artificial intelligence indicates larger potential for future changes in certain occupations, it does not equate to job loss, as it could result in augmentation of worker productivity, automation of some tasks, or both.